Argentina judge rules Barrick mine to remain suspended

BUENOS AIRES, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A judge in Argentina ruled
on Friday to keep Barrick Gold Corp's operations at
Veladero mine suspended, saying repairs were not sufficient to
reopen it after a leak of processing solution containing cyanide
earlier this month.

State news agency Telam said the judge's decision was based
on a report from mining police in San Juan province that said
the Toronto-based company had not installed security cameras and
sensors as the local government had required.

A Barrick representative in Argentina said the company had
not been notified of the decision.

Telam also said the judge overseeing the case, Pablo Oritja,
would go on vacation on Friday.

Barrick, the world's largest gold producer, announced the
spill at Veladero, one of its five main mines, on Sept. 15. The
province had fined the miner nearly $10 million for a September
2015 leak.

Barrick President Kelvin Dushnisky told Reuters on Sept. 19
that he thought the mine could start operating again in two
weeks.

The repairs would include lifting a berm, or raised bank,
over which the processing solution flowed, he said at the time.

Barrick has not said how much processing solution was
spilled. Tests by United Nations investigators in October showed
the year-earlier spill had not contaminated local water
supplies.
(Reporting by Hernan Nessi and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by
Lisa Von Ahn)